Voter turnout was 31 percent for Connecticut elections

HARTFORD — Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says 31 percent of registered voters across Connecticut turned out to cast ballots in the recent municipal elections.

The town of Bridgewater reported the highest turnout, where 77.39 percent of registered voters participated in the Nov. 5 election. The lowest turnout was in Hartford, where only 5.21 percent of registered voters cast ballots. Unlike many other communities, there was no race for mayor in Hartford this year.

Merrill said Wednesday that municipal elections usually have a lower turnout than state or presidential elections, even though the decisions made by local officials can have a huge impact on a voter's local community.

Nov. 5 marked the first time Connecticut has allowed people to register to vote on Election Day. Merrill said the process went smoothly.